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Kotomora

殖

augment, increase, multiply, raise

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes12

Readings

On'yomi

  • ショク

Kun'yomi

  • ふ.える
  • ふ.やす

Nanori

  • うえ
  • え
  • げ

Meaning

殖 centers on growth in quantity or scale: augmenting, increasing, multiplying, or raising something to a larger amount.

Most common words using 殖

20 of 68
  • 繁殖はんしょく
    N2

    breeding; propagation; reproduction; multiplication; increase

  • 増殖ぞうしょく
    N1

    increase; multiplication; propagation; proliferation

  • 養殖ようしょく
    N1

    aquaculture; culture; cultivation; raising

  • 生殖せいしょく

    reproduction

  • 殖産しょくさん

    production increase; enhancement of one's fortune

  • 拓殖大学たくしょくだいがく

    Takushoku University

  • 拓殖たくしょく

    colonization; colonisation; development; settlement; exploitation

  • 利殖りしょく

    money-making

  • 生殖器せいしょくき

    genital organ; genitalia; sexual organ; reproductive organ

  • 利殖商法りしょくしょうほう

    fraudulent business practice of luring people into investing by promising high returns

  • 副生殖器ふくせいしょくき

    accessory sex organs; accessory genitalia

  • 北海道拓殖銀行ほっかいどうたくしょくぎんこう

    Hokkaido Takushoku Bank, Limited

  • 単性生殖たんせいせいしょく

    parthenogenesis

  • 単為生殖たんいせいしょく

    parthenogenesis

  • 増殖因子ぞうしょくいんし

    (cell) growth factor

  • 増殖性ぞうしょくせい

    proliferative; productive; proliferating; multiplicative

  • 増殖炉ぞうしょくろ

    breeder reactor

  • 学殖がくしょく

    scholarship; learning; knowledge

  • 完全養殖かんぜんようしょく

    recirculating aquaculture; closed cycle rearing of fish, etc.

  • 小腸内細菌異常増殖しょうちょうないさいきんいじょうぞうしょく

    small intestinal bacterial overgrowth; SIBO

Explore all words using 殖 →

Study

Etymology

殖 combines 歹 (originally a pictograph of a broken bone, often associated with death or harm) with 直, which likely contributes the sound. The compound originally referred to the proliferation of harmful things, later broadening to general increase or multiplication.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 歹 suggests something spreading (like decay), and the right side 直 (straight) hints at direct, unchecked growth. Picture a fast-spreading vine that multiplies and raises its shoots straight up.

Reading mnemonic

For ショク, imagine a shock of new growth: shock -> ショク, as plants suddenly augment and multiply after rain.